Singer and actor Noel Harrison dies at home in Devon
Noel Harrison, best known for his 1968 hit single The Windmills Of Your Mind, has died at home in Devon at the age of 79.
The son of the British actor Sir Rex Harrison, he was also an actor and Olympic athlete.
A champion skier, Harrison represented Great Britain at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.
By the turn of the sixties, he was singing and playing guitar in London clubs before moving to the US. He began to achieve some commercial success in 1966, having a hit with Charles Aznavour's A Young Girl from his self-titled debut album; but it was the theme tune from the film The Thomas Crown Affair that sealed his success and reputation. The Windmills Of Your Mind was written by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman; it won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1968.
Harrison toured in musical productions as a singer and actor and appeared on TV. After many years in America, he moved to Devon a decade or so ago, performing occasionally and continuing to record.
Harrison was married three times and is survived by children and grandchildren from his first two marriages.
